The Studio Shops At Warner Bros.: The Dream Factory

There are a lot of things to love about California Home + Design's "Small Space Big Style" Showhouse. But, of all the lovely surprises those 1300 square feet held, none was as exciting to me as stumbling across the answer to two of the decorating questions I'm asked most frequently: Where do I go to get something installed quickly, meticulously and cost-effectively? and Do you know anyone who can fabricate this elusive piece that I have my heart set on but that doesn't seem to actually exist? Well I'm here to tell you that I have found the holy grail, and it is on the Warner Bros. lot in Burbank, courtesy of their Studio Shops.

The Shops — a collection of departments that includes drapery, upholstery, painting and refinishing, a cabinet and furniture shop, a scenic arts and mural department, a digital printing service, a metal shop and architectural ornamentation — have honed their talents in service of the demanding film and television industry for over 75 years. They work fast, they deliver on time, their work is meticulous and they can fabricate pretty much anything you have in mind, from a couch to wallpaper, from cabinets to a fence. And at a reaonable price. They're a little known secret among the entertainment industry, who've tapped their talents for their homes for years, and I was surprised to learn that they're available to moviegoers as well as moviemakers.

Their work was all over "Small Space, Big Style" (some examples above, including additional residential projects). Some of the highlights: they created and installed the kitchen, with its flawlessly matched wood grain cabinets; they created cabinets for two of the bathrooms and a mirror for a third; they created the 70's style murals that unify the dramatic living room, as well as fabricating the small scale Vladimir Kagan-style sofa.

And most impressively, they accomplished all of these projects in a tight timeframe of under four weeks, almost a vacation for an outfit that is used to set demands, where everything is needed tomorrow! That sofa, by the way, cost just under $2000, a very reasonable price for something custom made, and it was delivered more quickly than the sofa from a big box store you've been considering having made up in a non-stock color.

If you can dream it, they can build it. That's the magic of Hollywood at work for you. To learn more about what they can do, click here. If you've already got a project in mind, email them at wbsf@warnerbros.com.